Good selections from recent Amsterdam visits

[limey]

Hi, all!

Thought I'd provide some anecdotal reports on my picks from recent trips to Amsterdam.

The best buds I have come across of late have been:
Lavender (Barney's) - strongly floral scented, strong but not debilitating
Amnesia Haze (Barney's) - top haze selection, uplifting and a good daytime smoke
Hawaiian Snow (Greenhouse) - damned strong. Great, full-bodied flavours.
Sweet tooth (Barney's) - also damned strong, sweet, nearly knocked me out

The disappointments (though, let's face it, these were still great buds)
Mako Haze (Greenhouse) - the Hawaiian Snow was much, much better tasting
Hash Heaven (Katsu) - flavours over-complicated. I was excited to try this as I love Soma's strains and his Lavender in particular. Probably amazing for making hash with, I didn't think this worked so well as buds.

As usual, the pick of the hash was at De Dampkring and Katsu. Disappointed with Kashmir Lounge's hash selection. Honourable mention - though this is now a couple of years out of date and I dont know if they still sell it - but the 2005 High Life cup-winning 'Master blaster' at the Anyday coffeeshop was by far the best nederhasj that I have smoked in Amsterdam.

Happy sampling

limey

ps. I do go to other coffee shops in Amsterdam but the above mentioned do seem to knock out very good, if sometimes overpriced, gear, so that's why they have my recommendations. If you are looking for good coffeeshops, my pick of the bunch would be:
The Greenhouse and Barney's on Haarlemmerstraat (the Greenhouse to hang out in ; Barney's to buy in)
The Greenhouse Namaste off Waterlooplein
De Dampkring
Katsu
Grey area
... not an inaginative selection, I know, but there we are...

 

[Saibai]

Lucky you, for having the choice of all those buds and hash.
I keep hearing great things about the Amnesia Haze and Hawaiian Snow.

 

[clorox]

definatley check out ummagumma next time your in the dam, its like 2 blocks down the street from barneys, much better smoke, and light years ahead in hash if you ask me..

 

[limey]

thanks, Clorox

ummagumma was been taken over by de Dampkring at the end of '06/start of '07. Their hash is always very good, I agree.

Funnily enough, this was the coffeeshop I went to most often in 1993 when I first started going to Amsterdam. I was a bit saddened to see that the Dampkring crew had got rid of some of the Floyd murals but am glad anyway that they have opened a branch on Haarlemmerstraat, as it's where I usually stay.

 

[clorox]

yea, my one and only trip to the 'dam was this past january, and my hotel was bout a block away from harlemstraat, needless to say i spent many hours smoking hash at ummagumma, i still have my dampkring lighter i bought from the vending machine in there, infact im smoking a bowl with it right now!

 

[limey]

Good work, Clorox! Long may you smoke that bowl!

 

[LM_714]

We had mako a few weeks back, altho I forget which coffee shop.. It was decent at best. Fresh but not nearly as nice as I heard it was.

 

[P-NUT]

is club media still open?

 

[limey]

Don't know it, P-nut, sorry, can't say

 

[P-NUT]

They used to have all the flying dutchmens strains. It was on the opposite side of town as barneys, I think the areas called pijp or something like that. Damn I really miss the dam.

 

[limey]

Thanks for the tip, I will try to hunt it out if it's still there. Going back to the 'Dam in September, all being well. Will be interesting now the tobacco ban has come in. Fortunately I gave up the baccy last year so wont bother me, though I fear it will lead to the end of alot of "locals" coffeeshops. will keep you posted! All the best...

 

[joebean91]

Media isn't that near Katsu ? . Mediocre at best .

 

[Air Freshener]

wait a minute, smoking tobacco indoors is illegal in amsterdam...but smoking cannabis is not?

 

[limey]

wait a minute, smoking tobacco indoors is illegal in amsterdam...but smoking cannabis is not?

That's right AirFreshener. And, as I understand it, you can actually smoke tobacco products in areas of coffeeshops etc in Amsterdam that are set aside for the purpose and dont have table service / staff in them. It will be interesting to see how this pans out. I have heard that alot of the coffeeshops are up for sale. received wisdom is:

the big famous places like Greenhouse, De Dampkring, and (less wonderfully) the Bulldog and Grasshopper will stay open because they have enough trade from tourists to keep them going (and enough money to spend on changing their premises to include tobacco smoking areas)

the local places that do most of their business in selling puff to people who take it home to smoke will also survive, as they dont depend on people buying and then staying for a few drinks.

the places that are most likely to fold are those that really have no reputation and depend on selling lots of tea and coffee, or ripping off ill informed tourists.

IMO this change in the law will probably, ultimately, be a good thing for the coffeeshop trade in Amsterdam but there will be alot of casualties along the way and a degree of change - I anticipate that very small places that operate as take away only, with a small shop and small rents will do very well. I fear for out of the tourist centre places like YoYo, which is wonderful but it's selling point (ok, other than their nice organic weed) is that it's a nice place to sit and smoke. We shall see!

 

[Wooden Eye]

Smoking tobacco Is Bad for you. Those who mix up with spinna should already know this but a lot of them just dont care. A dutch friend went to the Dam once and said it was ok.

 

[limey]

Smoking tobacco Is Bad for you.

With you, my friend, I gave up the legal weed myself finally last year. But we shouldn't be puritanical about it. Smoking anything is bad for you and that's the truth. If we wanted to live the clean life, we wouldn't smoke ganja either!

 

[fourtwentytrip]

I agree with you limey, my recent trip to A-dam had delicious hawaiian snow and lavender. I have to say that hawaiian snow has got to be my favourite smoke of all, although that was a love plant grown by a friend of mine, the A-dam stuff is still a shotgun to the head though